Beachy Cleo hack and a **GIVEAWAY**!! (giveaway now closed)

Hey hey

How's everyone doin'?  I'm posting a little early this week because I'm part of the Cleo parade, that was put together to fete the launch of the Made by Rae Cleo skirt pattern in print! Exciting isn't it?  Well, you all know that I just posted a Cleo a couple weeks ago on this blog, and I happen to have two others from the testing experience that are also 100% as-drafted, so this time around I wanted to have a little fun.

Notice any changes?  It's a maxi!...  It also happens to be super see through because I'm taking this Cleo all the way to the beach!  I'm going 100% beach cover up with this one (and yes that is a bathing suit you see, top made by me, bottom made by VS) and I am so happy with my decision.  It's so swishy :o). If you've read the rest of the blog tour posts, which I hope you have because there have been some beaaautiful versions posted, then you already know this pattern is a great one for beginners.  It's a gathered skirt with a flat waist band in the front, elastic casing in the back and pockets, either inseam or scoop depending on the version you choose to sew.  It's also drafted to be either knee length or midi.

  

This particular version I made even easier by omitting the pockets and using the selvage of my fabric for the hem.  However, I did 'up' the challenge factor by using a panel print poly-chiffon, ie. the scariest fabric on the planet (IMO).  This bad boy is two layers of poly chiffon for both the front and the back.  To stabilize the front waist band I used fusible woven interfacing and the back waistband I lined with cotton voile.  My 'hack' if you can even call it that seriously just entailed extending the pattern pieces the distance I needed for the skirt to hit my toes.  I then aliged the bottom of my new pattern pieces with my selvage, added seam allowance to the top, and skipped hemming.  Voila.  Easy Peasy. 

 

Because I was sewing on a double layer I hand basted the two pieces together before attaching the waist band and then I was just super diligent to grab all four layers when I sewed up the side seams.  In the above picture you can just barely see the bottom has a two-toned stripe and the selvage edge hem has a slight fringe to it.  I looove how that fringe adds to the bo-ho feel.

 

If your a Made by Rae fan, and let's face it, who amongst us isn't, you might also recognize my top.  It's a cropped off Gemma and I made it specifically to go with my new bohemian-dream Cleo.  I basically made it, put it on with my Cleo and then marked a hem with pins where it would just barely reveal the slightest sliver of skin in the front, but then duck back down in the back. I left a healthy 1" hem and hand sewed it in place. 

 

The Gemma is made with whit cotton swiss dot, which was also see through, so I lined it with the same cotton voile I used to line the back waist band of my skirt.  I sewed the two pieces together at the neck and arms to finish them and then treated them as one when I sewed the shoulder seams and hem.

  

I think I've just about talked your ear off by now, but I have one more piece of business to address.  The **Giveaway**!!!  I have one paper pattern at my disposal to either keep or give away for participating in this blog hop and since I clearly already have my pattern all traced out and ready to go, one of you can have my freshly printed paper pattern!  Just leave me a note in the comments that you're interested and I'll pick a lucky winner at random by next Friday, 8/11. This giveaway is open world wide. :o) Sorry the giveaway is now closed.

Alrighty, I'm going to sign off now, but just one last reminder, if you haven't already, don't forget to check out the other posts that were a part of this tour!!

 

Have a great weekend :o)

Kten